Two on a Tower - Page 89/147

There was no doubt that they had been impressed by the clothes he wore;

and having no wish to provoke similar comments from his grandmother and

Hannah, Swithin took the precaution, on arriving at Welland Bottom, to

enter the homestead by the outhouse. Here he deposited the cap and coat

in secure hiding, afterwards going round to the front and opening the

door in the usual way.

In the entry he met Hannah, who said-'Only to hear what have been seed to-night, Mr. Swithin! The work-folk have dropped in to tell us!' In the kitchen were the men who had outstripped him on the road. Their countenances, instead of wearing the usual knotty irregularities, had a

smoothed-out expression of blank concern. Swithin's entrance was

unobtrusive and quiet, as if he had merely come down from his study

upstairs, and they only noticed him by enlarging their gaze, so as to

include him in the audience.

'We was in a deep talk at the moment,' continued Blore, 'and Natty had

just brought up that story about old Jeremiah Paddock's crossing the park

one night at one o'clock in the morning, and seeing Sir Blount a-shutting

my lady out-o'-doors; and we was saying that it seemed a true return that

he should perish in a foreign land; when we happened to look up, and

there was Sir Blount a-walking along.' 'Did it overtake you, or did you overtake it?' whispered Hannah

sepulchrally.

'I don't say 'twas _it_,' returned Sammy. 'God forbid that I should drag

in a resurrection word about what perhaps was still solid manhood, and

has to die! But he, or it, closed in upon us, as 'twere.' 'Yes, closed in upon us!' said Haymoss.

'And I said "Good-night, strainger,"' added Chapman.

'Yes, "Good-night, strainger,"--that wez yer words, Natty. I support ye

in it.' 'And then he closed in upon us still more.' 'We closed in upon he, rather,' said Chapman.

'Well, well; 'tis the same thing in such matters! And the form was Sir

Blount's. My nostrils told me, for--there, 'a smelled. Yes, I could

smell'n, being to leeward.' 'Lord, lord, what unwholesome scandal's this about the ghost of a

respectable gentleman?' said Mrs. Martin, who had entered from the

sitting-room.

'Now, wait, ma'am. I don't say 'twere a low smell, mind ye. 'Twere a

high smell, a sort of gamey flaviour, calling to mind venison and hare,

just as you'd expect of a great squire,--not like a poor man's 'natomy,

at all; and that was what strengthened my faith that 'twas Sir Blount.' ('The skins that old coat was made of,' ruminated Swithin.) 'Well, well; I've not held out against the figure o' starvation these

five-and-twenty year, on nine shillings a week, to be afeard of a walking

vapour, sweet or savoury,' said Hezzy. 'So here's home-along.' 'Bide a bit longer, and I'm going too,' continued Fry. 'Well, when I found 'twas Sir Blount my spet dried up within my mouth; for neither

hedge nor bush were there for refuge against any foul spring 'a might

have made at us.' ''Twas very curious; but we had likewise a-mentioned his name just afore,

in talking of the confirmation that's shortly coming on,' said Hezzy.